5 tips for successfully relocating your business

Your rent has been creeping up year on year, desk space is so short you’re practically sitting on top of each other and, in all honesty, you’re just downright sick of the grim view of a car park from your window… …it’s time to relocate your office. To make it as stress-free and successful as possible, we’re sharing five top tips for managing the move with ease. Take a look.

#1: Be honest with your team - Relocating your business

Not everyone is going to be happy about the office relocation, so be careful and considerate when breaking the news to your employees. Make it clear that their jobs are safe, that their rights will be respected and be honest about the reasons behind the move. After the dust has settled, create and display a moving schedule so that everyone can stay up-to-date with what’s going on (it’s also a helpful way of keeping yourself organised). It's best to come up with a plan by consulting professional movers like United Van Lines to make your move as painful as possible.

#2: Know what you’re looking for - Relocating your business

Think about everything annoying or stressful about your current office – maybe it’s the lack of parking outside, the dingy meeting room you’re embarrassed to show clients or even just the lack of natural lighting. Doing so will help you figure out exactly what it is that you’re looking for from a new workplace, making the actual property hunt much simpler. Remember to also come up with a strict budget, so that you can start the search fully aware of how much money you’ve got to spend.

#3: Start the search online - Relocating your business

Once you’ve put together a checklist of everything your dream new office will provide, you can start the fun part of actually finding it. So that you don’t end up going on hundreds of pointless viewings, we recommend narrowing your search on Shop Property’s online database. It lets you whittle down results according to price and location, so you can quickly find the best commercial property for rent in your budget.

#4: Delegate packing responsibilities - Relocating your business

When it comes to packing up your office, assign key responsibilities (like taking care of sensitive paperwork or overseeing certain departments) to individual staff members – it’s a great way of making them feel engaged in the move. For the actual moving part, hiring a professional removal company is a good shout. They’ll have done it a hundred times before, and their experience will hopefully prevent any silly breakages or mistakes happening in transit.

#5: Notify all the correct people - Relocating your business

Although keeping customers and clients in the loop is important (if only so you can warn them of likely delays in projects), the admin doesn’t stop there. There are lots of other people you also need to notify of your change of address, including service providers, insurance companies, your banks and the post office. Let them know what’s going on as early as possible. Have you got any other top tips for enjoying a smooth office relocation? Leave a comment and let us know.